Table 1

Summary of proposed causes and treatments for common mental health disorders

Mental Disorder

Proposed Cause

Treatment

References

Type of Study

Major Depression

Serotonin deficiency

Tryptophan

[15]

[32]

Human pilot clinical trial

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Dopamine/Noradrenaline deficiency

Tyrosine

[30]

[36]

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Randomized within or between subjects

GABA deficiency

GABA

[29]

Clinical trial

Omega-3 deficiency

Omega-3s

[39]

Clinical trial

Folate/Vitamin B deficiency

Folate/Vitamin B

[9]

[13]

Randomized controlled trial

Clinical trial

Magnesium deficiency

Magnesium

[14]

Cases studies

SAM deficiency

SAM

[37]

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Bipolar Disorder

Excess acetylcholine receptors

Lithium orotate & taurine

[50]

Clinical trial

Excess vanadium

Vitamin C

[45]

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Vitamin B/Folate deficiency

Vitamin B/Folate

[47]

[71]

Human pilot clinical trial

Clinical trial

L-Tryptophan deficiency

L-Tryptophan

[72]

Clinical trial

Choline deficiency

Lecithin

[73]

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Omega-3 deficiency

Omega-3s

[21]

[48]

[74]

[75]

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Clinical trial

Clinical trial

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Schizophrenia

Impaired serotonin synthesis

Tryptophan

[53]

Open-baseline controlled trial

Glycine deficiency

Glycine

[54]

[55]

[56]

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Human pilot open-label trial

Clinical trial

Omega-3 deficiencies

Omega-3s

[59]

[60]

[65]

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Randomized, placebo controlled

Open-label clinical trial

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

St. John's wort deficiency

St John's wort

[69]

[70]

Randomized, double-blind trial

Double-blind, placebo controlled

Lakhan and Vieira Nutrition Journal 2008 7:2   doi:10.1186/1475-2891-7-2